Panic At Louvre Museum After Daring Heist: Thieves Flee With Napoleon-Era Jewellery

A wave of panic swept through the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday after a robbery led to a full evacuation of the premises. France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed that the theft occurred early in the morning during the museum’s opening hours.

According to the French interior ministry, the stolen items included nine valuable pieces of jewellery from the Napoleonic collection displayed in the Galerie d’Apollon, a grand hall known for housing part of the French Crown Jewels. The ornate gallery, located in the Denon wing, is celebrated for its vaulted ceilings painted by King Louis XIV’s court artist.

Reports from Le Parisien revealed that the suspects entered the museum — currently undergoing construction — and used a freight elevator to access the gallery. After smashing display windows, they escaped with the historic jewellery.

Footage from visitors showed long queues forming as people were evacuated, while security forces secured the area. The Louvre later announced its closure for “exceptional reasons” without sharing more details.

Home to the world-renowned Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the Louvre attracts thousands of visitors each day and holds around 500,000 art pieces. The incident has sparked widespread concern over the security of one of the world’s most famous museums.